NOAA OKs seal, whale harassment for Alaska dock redo
Published Date: 1/22/2025
Notice
Summary
Trident Seafoods is getting a green light to restart their Kodiak dock project with a new permit that lets them accidentally disturb some local marine mammals, like seals and whales, but only in a mild way. The project was delayed, so the permit dates shifted to March 2025 through February 2026, with no changes to the rules or how many animals might be affected. This means construction can finally move forward while keeping an eye on protecting ocean life.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Reissued Permit Lets Dock Work Resume
Trident Seafoods received a re-issued Incidental Harassment Authorization allowing the same dock replacement construction in Kodiak from March 1, 2025 through February 28, 2026. The re-issued permit keeps the identical authorized Level B harassment takes and the same mitigation, monitoring, and reporting requirements as the initial 2024 IHA.
Authorized Disturbance of Six Marine Species
The IHA authorizes only Level B (behavioral) harassment of six marine mammal species — humpback whale (Mexico‑North Pacific DPS), killer whale, Dall's porpoise, harbor porpoise, Steller sea lion (western DPS), and harbor seal — with the same authorized take numbers as the initial IHA. NMFS determined the authorized takes are 'negligible' and 'small numbers,' that no relevant subsistence uses are implicated, and the Alaska Regional Office concluded the action is not likely to jeopardize the listed species.
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